Saturday, January 1, 2011

Outside my circle: A guide to love (Same-sex love)

[I created a series of FAQ we often encounter regarding different types of love in this world, titled "Outside my circle: A guide to love." This section is about same-sex love.]

What if I don’t like looking at two guys or two girls holding hands, kissing, and generally expressing affection or love?

♥You should consider whether you have a problem with PDA in general, or if the problem is with who exactly is expressing this in public. You cannot dictate what kind of kiss is allowed in public or in the media and then deny all the other types.

♥You should then consider the fact that people who surround you in this world do not exist for your judgment. Strangers in the mall are not in your eyesight to please or entertain you. At the end of the day, holding hands, hugging, kissing and light cuddling is the most PDA you’ll probably see, in average.

♥Realistically, your life isn’t truly affected if the people holding hands in your peripheral vision have the same genitalia or not. If you don’t like it, realize that nobody’s asking you to like it. They don’t want your opinion, nor do they want you to join in. So it would probably be best to mull over the idea that it’s none of your business, and they have a right to express their affection in the same way that others do all the time.

But it’s against my religion.

♥Are you sure about that? Might want to do some research. Additionally, it’s your faith, not theirs. Hating something under the guise of religion is a choice that you make, with an excuse that you chose. Love and equal rights are not something that can be made into a pageant, debating around the subjects where you’re the judge.

But relationships lead to marriage, and marriage is between a man and a woman, for the purpose of procreating.

♥Some relationships lead to marriage. I know many hetero couples who live together but have no intention of getting married. What’s important is that marriage is a right that all should have. Also, marriage is a cross-cultural institution that exists in a different form for different people depending on their ideas, the time period, and many other factors.

♥There’s just not one way of practicing. You don’t need men and women to be getting married in order to procreate. That can happen outside of marriage. There are also many men and women getting married that chose not to have children, or who are unable to have children without additional help (if they chose it).

It’s not natural.

♥Yeah, it is. It happens in nature all the time. I wouldn’t be so quick to throw around the word or idea of things being “natural” to begin with, either, as you sit here and read this on your computer. ;)

But it’s nasty!

♥Last time I checked, hating and discriminating against people and their rights is nastier than people loving one another.

Okay, so I respect same-sex relationships and the GLBTQ community. What more can I do to be a better ally?

♥That will be addressed in a later post :)

Can you expand on the marriage issue?

♥That will also be addressed in a later post. This series is all about love, and marriage is just a part of that, not the entire issue of understanding different types of love.